More than 20 arrested at protest, Metropolitan Police say

Rachel Muller-HeyndykBBC NewsWatch: Individuals arrested after protest in assist of Palestine ActionMore than 20 folks have been arrested in London after what police stated they have been responding to a protest in assist of the banned group Palestine Motion.The Metropolitan Police stated these arrested have been being held on suspicion of offences below the Terrorism Act 2000 and had been taken into custody. Footage from the Westminster demonstration confirmed a small group holding placards studying “I oppose genocide, I assist Palestine Motion”. As of Saturday, the group is proscribed below the Terrorism Act 2000, after attorneys appearing on its behalf failed with a courtroom bid to dam the ban on Friday.The designation means being a member of, or displaying assist for Palestine Motion, is a prison offence and will result in as much as 14 years in jail.In an earlier assertion, the Met stated: “Officers are responding to a protest in assist of Palestine Motion in Parliament Sq..”The group is now proscribed and expressing assist for them is a prison offence.”PA MediaPolice made arrests on Saturday at protests in assist of the proscribed groupProtesters holding home-made, cardboard placards gathered close to the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Sq. on Saturday. Footage emerged displaying police surrounding the group and detaining folks, with one girl seen being taken away in handcuffs by officers. The protest group Defend Our Juries wrote to Met Police commissioner Mark Rowley on Friday to tell the drive an indication the place placards expressing assist of Palestine Motion can be displayed was to go forward on Saturday.In a press release launched after the arrests, the group stated: “It is a reduction to know that Counter Terrorism police don’t have anything higher to do.”The federal government moved to ban Palestine Motion after an estimated £7m of harm was prompted to planes at RAF Brize Norton final month throughout a protest the group stated it was behind.Dwelling Secretary Yvette Cooper introduced plans to proscribe the group final month, calling injury to 2 army plane “disgraceful” and claiming the group had a “lengthy historical past of unacceptable prison injury”.PA MediaDefend Our Juries warned the Met police of protests going down on SaturdayPalestine Motion has engaged in actions which have predominantly focused arms corporations for the reason that begin of the present battle in Gaza.The group’s ban got here into impact on Saturday after Excessive Courtroom decide Mr Justice Chamberlain refused its request to briefly block the transfer, saying the declare was “inadequate to outweigh the robust public curiosity in sustaining the order in drive”.Raza Husain KC, barrister for Palestine Motion’s co-founder Huda Ammori, who introduced the grievance, informed the courtroom banning the group can be “ill-considered” and an “authoritarian abuse” of energy.Israel launched its army marketing campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 assault, during which about 1,200 folks have been killed and 251 others have been taken hostage. The loss of life toll in Gaza has since risen to greater than 57,000, based on the Hamas-run well being ministry.Israel has strongly denied allegations of genocide, claims that are additionally being examined by the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice.